順從？抵抗？─東南亞新移民女性的家庭照顧經驗

Abstract

當婚嫁來台的東南亞新移民女性常被台灣媒體污名化為「福利資源掠奪者」時，我卻於實際生活與部分實證研究中觀察到她們在勞動市場付出勞力、在家庭提供照顧服務的劬勞形象。這樣說來，移民女性非但不是「福利資源掠奪者」，反倒常是「照顧服務提供者」，填補國家在照顧服務中的退位。東南亞新移民女性在台灣社會中究竟扮演怎樣的角色？而當「家庭照顧者」是她們被期許當背負的責任時，面對夫家賦予的義務，這群鑲嵌在異國社會、歧視結構、與娘家因遙遠距離呈現弱連結的移民女性能否、如何抵抗？精緻化我的問題意識，歸納出三個研究問題：一、東南亞新移民女性擔任「家庭照顧者」的經驗輪廓？二、影響東南亞新移民女性順從或起身抵抗家庭照顧角色的機制為何？三、東南亞新移民女性如何抵抗家庭照顧角色？以上問題分別落於what、why、how三個層次，處理：移民女性的家庭照顧經驗「是甚麼」？「為甚麼」她們要順從/抵抗？以及移民女性「如何」抵抗。我採取質性研究典範，於大台北地區及台中清水鎮進行田野工作，深度訪談十七位東南亞新移民女性(五位原籍印尼、十二位原籍越南)，透過：「跨海來台照顧的女人」、「形塑女性順從抑或抵抗的機制」、「弱者的武器」三章篇幅回答上述研究提問。最後，我並深探(所謂「甜蜜」的)「家」何以成為「好」/「壞」女人產製機制運作的載體，「家」怎麼傳遞、複製了父權統治，而身為受迫者的女性又如何成為父權複製的關鍵人物，使父權壓迫代代承傳、運轉不歇。

New Southeast Asian immigrant women, who have moved to Taiwan through marriage, are commonly stigmatized as ‘marauders of welfare resources’ by Taiwanese media. However, drawing on my observation and by reviewing some existing empirical studies, I find them working diligently as laborers in labor markets and as caregivers within their family. Thus, they do not seem to be ‘marauders of welfare resources’, but ‘providers of care services’, who ironically compensating the state’s failure. What roles do new Southeast Asian immigrant women actually take on in Taiwanese society? When their husband and his next of kin demand them to assume the role of family caregiver, is it possible to say no? Given their extensive grounds of being foreign, being discriminated against and being distant from the original family, how can they fight their way? This research intends to raise the following questions: 1) what are the distinctive experiences of new Southeast Asian immigrant women as family caregiver? 2) What mechanisms make these women obey, or resist, the role as family caregiver? And 3) how do they resist this role? To approach these questions, I follow the qualitative research paradigm, conducted my field work in the metropolitan area of Taipei and Qingshui Township of Taichung County, and had in-depth interviews with 17 new immigrant females (5 from Indonesia and 12 from Vietnam). My research findings to the above questions are demonstrated respectively in three chapters of this thesis: Family Caregivers Who Crossed Ocean to Taiwan, Mechanisms Which Force Women to Obey or Resist the Role as Family Caregiver, and Weapons of the Weak. On the basis of this research, I contend that ‘sweet’ home not only cultivates the very mechanism producing ‘good/bad’ women, but transmits and replicates patriarchal oppression. Although women are as the oppressed by patriarchy, these immigrant females’ experiences reveal that it is also women who are made the essential person to convey patriarchy, which is then inherited from generation to generation, endlessly.